The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-06-17
THE KE AU HOU.
Ahe schooner Returns without News
OF the General SieseI - CaDtaIn
BrOwnOlTs Report.

1t Will be remembered that on ApriI Both
the Pacific Navigation Company dis.
patched their three-masted schooner Re
! Au dou IN search of the long overdue
schooner General Siegel, which left the lat
ter part OF 1886 on shark expedition to
French Frigate Shoals Captain BrownelI
was in command, and presents the follow
ing report:
The Ke Au Hou made way for Birds
Island direct, arriving there MAY I'd. An
chOred mile and a half off the lee side
saw no sign of life or of there ever having
been any living thing there. The next dav
made NecOr Island, barren reef, about
$50 miles from Birds Island, and having
become satisfied that Necor Island con-
tanned no object of interest, sail was set tor
French Frigate Shoals. On May 4th made
the Shoals, stood inside the reef and an
chored. A hard wind from the northeast
sprung up, and the sea became very
rough. Got under way again and went all
around the reef, finding three and a quar-
ter fathoms of water at nearly all sound
ings, and turtles and birds too numerous
to count. At 8 p. m, May 9Th, passed
Brooks reef, steering west by south. Made
l.,
later on landed on west side of Layson ISL
and. Found good anchorage in five faith
oms of water; remained at Layson Island
until the next day. Found many parts of
numerous wrecks, evidently there several
years. The birds at Layson Island were
innumerable. Ducks that appear to have
descended from the domestic bird were
plentiful, and could be picked up by the
armful. A few dozen of the web-fOoted
creatures were taken aboard the schooner,
and few of them are yet in possession of
the captain. On the same island four
canary birds were caught; in fact they
were picked off the bushes, they were so
tame. Three of the canaries died from
cold but one, a warbler, is yet aboard the
schooner. These small birds seem to have
a mixture of other birds in their compost
ton, and their singing qualities have been
affected accordingly; that is, their voices
are louder, and it might be said harsher
than the ordinary canary. Eggs on Lay
son are so plentiful that it is difficult to
proceed many rods without crushing them
by the dozens; baskets full were gathered !
for ships use, and good eating they |
afforded. On May 18th sighted Lisiansky |
Island; lay there until daylight the next /
day, when a boat was sent ashore. Found |
pieces of ancient wrecks and a lot OF /
empty wooden boxes, neatly piled !
up. The covers of the boxes were marked !
"Gemmen,' probably the name of some
vessel tina Inad been wrecked there. From
Lisianskg Island the schooner headed |
for Herman reef, receiving on the
way strong northerly gales, with
rough seas. On May 10th made Ocean
Island arriving there at daybreak. The
schooner was becalmed off the island for
six days, during which time boats were
sent ashore. The house put up by the
Hawaiian Government was there; the
tanks were full of water; the trees planted
there by the relief party could not be seen;
the buried meat was untouched; the flag
staff was still up. The wrecked Dunnottar
Castle was completely demolished.
Nothing was left to be seen of her except
a single spar sticking up out of the water,
and mutilated seaman's chest on the
beach The Ke Au Hou could not get
within five miles of Ocean Island, and of
course had to pull that distance to make
shore. On the oath of May sail was set for
Honolulu, which port was reached yester-
day, after an absence of forty-seven days,
and without seeing any sign of the missing
schooner.
Captain Brownel thinks that the Gen
eral Siegel is probably down among the
South Sea Islands.